Rothfus defends voting against Farm Bill

Friday

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- After the U.S. House of Representatives passed a massive Farm Bill 251-166 Wednesday after years of setbacks, Rep. Keith Rothfus, R-12, Sewickley, defended why he voted no.

“While this bill began necessary reforms to agriculture and nutrition programs, in an era of a $17 trillion national debt, more were needed,” Rothfus said in a statement.

Conservatives had sought to overhaul a food stamp program, which costs $80 billion a year. The House bill would cut $800 million or 1 percent annually to a food stamp program. Crop subsidies bring the legislation’s total spending to nearly $100 billion annually.

Rothfus said he also felt additional reforms were necessary.

His communications director, Edward Yap, wrote in a statement the additional reforms included:

Increasing an income threshold for taxpayer-funded farm program payments, Requiring able-bodied adult Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients without dependents to work, and Modernizing the sugar program. Some say sugar subsidies artificially drive up prices.

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